Background. Long noncoding RNA-based prognostic biomarkers have demonstrated great potential in the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer patients. However, systematic assessment of a multiple lncRNA-composed prognostic risk model is lacking in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD). This study is aimed at constructing a lncRNA-based prognostic risk model for STAD patients. Methods. RNA sequencing data and clinical

Background. Early diagnosis is very important for the clinical treatment of gastric cancer (GC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to detect Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) and evaluate its diagnostic value. Materials and Methods. Serum concentrations of GOLPH3 were detected by ELISA in 136 CRC patients, 102 GC patients, and 50 healthy controls at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical

Background. Identifying malignant pulmonary nodules and detecting early-stage lung cancer (LC) could reduce mortality. This study investigated the clinical value of a seven-autoantibody (7-AAB) panel in combination with the Mayo model for the early detection of LC and distinguishing benign from malignant pulmonary nodules (MPNs). Methods. The concentrations of the elements of a 7-AAB panel were quantitated

The present study is aimed at examining the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and investigating its role in differential diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Materials and Methods. In a Chinese population, we conducted a case-control study to compare the diagnostic performance of serum levels of BDNF and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for CRC. We enrolled 61 healthy controls

Multiple genes have been implicated to have a role in asthma predisposition by association studies. Pediatric patients often manifest a more extensive form of this disease and a particularly severe disease course. It is likely that genetic predisposition could play a more substantial role in this group. This study is aimed at identifying the spectrum of rare and novel variation in known pediatric asthma

Background. At present, the diagnostic accuracy of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance is insufficient. It remains controversial whether prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence II (PIVKA-II) has a better diagnostic value than AFP for HCC patients. Objective. To investigate the diagnostic role of PIVKA-II alone or in combination with AFP in Chinese HCC patients.

Sarcopenia is the most common feature of hepatic cirrhosis characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass and function and increases permanently the mortality and morbidity rates among those patients. The incidence of sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients ranged 40-70% associating with impaired quality of life and augmented rates of infection. Based on these issues, this review is aimed at determining

Epigenetic gene silencing by aberrant DNA methylation leads to loss of key cellular pathways in tumorigenesis. In order to analyze the effects of DNA methylation on prostate cancer, we established LNCaP-derived human prostate cancer cells that can pharmacologically induce global reactivation of hypermethylated genes by the methyl-CpG targeted transcriptional activation (MeTA) method. The MeTA suppressed

Cystic fibrosis (CF), an autosomal recessive genetic disease, is recognized as one of the most prevalent diseases in Caucasian populations. Epidemiological data show that the incidence of CF varies between countries and ethnic groups in the same region. CF occurs due to pathogenic variants in the gene encoding cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), located on chromosome 7q31.2

With the increasing overall survival of cancer patients due to recent discoveries in oncology, the incidence of side effects is also rising, and along with secondary malignancies, cardiotoxicity is one of the most concerning side effects, affecting the quality of life of cancer survivors. There are two types of cardiotoxicity associated with chemotherapy; the first one is acute, life-threatening but

Objective. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate existing literature on inflammatory markers in CSF from patients with hydrocephalus and identify potential markers capable of promoting hydrocephalus development and progression. Methods. Relevant studies published before December 3rd 2020 were identified from PubMed, Embase, and reference lists. Studies were screened for eligibility using

Background. Long intergenic noncoding RNA1184 (linc01184) has been recently discovered; however, its role in human diseases is limited to date. The present study is aimed at investigating the expression pattern and mechanism of linc01184 in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis. Methods. The expression of linc01184 in CRC tissues and cell lines was compared with that in normal controls. The functions

Aim. The gene encoding the vitamin D receptor (VDR) is considered in many studies to be a good candidate responsible for susceptibility to several diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD). Epidemiological data show that cardiovascular disease is one of the major health problems in Polish society. Basic studies show that genetic factors play a significant role in the pathogenesis of CAD. We conducted

Objective. Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a fatal disease owing to vascular rupture and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Much attention has been given to circular RNAs (circRNAs) because they may be potential biomarkers for many diseases, but their mechanism in the formation of IA remains unknown. Methods. circRNA expression profile analysis of blood samples was conducted between patients with IA and controls

Objective. To examine differences in maternal serum levels of adipokines (adiponectin, leptin, and resistin) and inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interlukin-6 (IL-6)) from early to midpregnancy among Arab women with or without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), along with their links to GDM risk. Methods. This is a multicenter prospective study involving 232 Saudi women

When a cardiologist is asked to evaluate the cardiac toxic effects of chemotherapy, he/she can use several tools: ECG, echocardiography, coronary angiography, ventriculography, and cardiac MRI. Of all these, the fastest and easiest to use is the ECG, which can provide information on the occurrence of cardiac toxic effects and can show early signs of subclinical cardiac damage. These warning signs are

Objective. It has been well elucidated that multiple types of cancers are at high risk of thrombosis. Several studies have indicated the prognostic value of fibrinogen (Fib) and D-dimer (DD) in prostate cancer (PCa). However, it remains unclear regarding the association of the comprehensive coagulation markers with the clinicopathological features of PCa. Methods. A total of 423 pathologically diagnosed

Increasing evidence demonstrated that noncoding RNA is abnormally expressed in cancer tissues and serves a vital role in tumorigenesis, tumor development, and metastasis. The aim of the present study was to determine an lncRNA signature in order to predict the overall survival (OS) of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). A total of 246 patients with pathologically confirmed MIBC in

Several tests based on chemiluminescence immunoassay techniques have become available to test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. There is currently insufficient data on serology assay performance beyond 35 days after symptoms onset. We aimed to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests on three widely used platforms. A chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA; Abbott Diagnostics, USA), a luminescence immunoassay

Purpose. DNA methylation alterations play important roles in initiation and progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In this study, we attempted to identify differentially methylated mRNA signatures with prognostic value for ccRCC. Methods. The mRNA methylation and expression profiling data of 306 ccRCC tumors were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to screen differentially

Heart failure (HF) is a global medical problem that characterizes poor prognosis and high economic burden for the health system and family of the HF patients. Although modern treatment approaches have significantly decreased a risk of the occurrence of HF among patients having predominant coronary artery disease, hypertension, and myocarditis, the mortality of known HF continues to be unacceptably

Ongoing research in the field of pediatric oncology has led to an increased number of childhood cancer survivors reaching adulthood. Therefore, ensuring a good quality of life for these patients has become a rising priority. Considering this, the following review focuses on summarizing the most recent research in anthracycline-induced cardiac toxicity in children treated for leukemia. For pediatric

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most devastating diseases worldwide. The study is aimed at identifying reliable prognostic biomarkers and to improve understanding of cancer initiation and progression mechanisms. RNA-Seq data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Subsequently, comprehensive bioinformatics analysis incorporating gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia

Objective. Diabetes is a growing global public health concern with many significant disease complications. Multiple studies show that bone turnover markers (BTMs) are decreased in diabetes patients, indicating impaired bone metabolism in diabetes patients. A recent study also showed that in diabetes patients, BTMs are correlated with urine albumin to creatinine ratio, an indicator of nephropathy. However

Background. Glutamine metabolism is considered an important metabolic phenotype of proliferating tumor cells. Objective. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of glutamine metabolism-related and amino acid transporter proteins in adrenal cortical neoplasms (ACNs) and pheochromocytomas (PCCs) in the adrenal gland. Methods. A tissue microarray was constructed for 132 cases of

Objective. Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a common and serious complication of diabetes mellitus with various systemic involvements, such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We aimed to evaluate the association between CAN and coronary artery lesions in patients with type 2 diabetes. Research Design and Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 104 patients with type

Background. In recent years, immune-associated genes (IAGs) have been documented as having critical roles in the occurrence and progression of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Novel immune-related biomarkers and a robust prognostic signature for MIBC patients are still limited. The study is aimed at developing an IAG-based signature to predict the prognosis of MIBC patients. Methods. In the present

Objective. In order to further study the changes of cerebral functional connectivity in patients with toothache (TA), this study used the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) technique and degree centrality (DC) analysis method. Methods. Eighteen TA patients (8 males, 10 females) and 18 healthy individuals of similar age, sex, and educational levels were recruited as healthy

Preeclampsia (PE) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are the most common complications of pregnancy, which result in adverse outcomes for the mother and the fetus. GDM is regarded as a separate independent risk factor for PE development, as evidenced by a higher preeclampsia rate in gestational diabetes mellitus than in the general population. The role the endothelial cell dysfunction plays is

Summary. Bone mineral density (BMD) data and biochemical indexes of the elderly women in the cadre department were analyzed retrospectively to find out the relationship between the biochemical indexes and the different screening results between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Purpose. This study is aimed at exploring which indicator can predict the

Background. Breast cancer treatment is associated with the occurrence of various cardiac adverse events. One of the mechanisms associated with cardiotoxicity is oxidative stress, against which cells are protected by antioxidative enzymes. Genetic variability of antioxidative enzymes can affect enzyme activity or expression, which modifies the ability of cells to defend themselves against oxidative

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is one of the acute phase proteins synthesized in hepatocytes and secreted by various inflammation or infectious stimuli. We investigated the clinical implication of measuring SAA in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody- (ANCA-) associated vasculitis (AAV). Seventy-five patients who had been classified as AAV and enrolled in our prospective observational cohort for

Objectives. Recent trials have shown an overall survival (OS) benefit in 10-40% advanced cancer patients treated with programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors. Here, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between PD-L1 expression and the therapeutic efficacy of PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with cancer with recurrent or metastatic disease, compared with control

Aim. This study is aimed at identifying genetic and epigenetic crosstalk molecules and their target drugs involved in the interaction between neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) and endothelial cells (ECs). Materials and Methods. Datasets pertaining to reciprocal mRNA and noncoding RNA changes induced by the interaction between NSPCs and ECs were obtained from the GEO database. Differential expression

Background. Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a clinical syndrome characterized by acute deterioration of liver function and high short-term mortality. Clusterin, with biological functions similar to small heat shock proteins, can protect cells from apoptosis induced by various stressors. The aim of this study was to detect the level of serum clusterin in hepatitis B virus- (HBV-) related ACLF

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Despite the efforts and distinct methodologies, the search of antigens for diagnosis, vaccine, and drug targets for the disease is still needed. The present study is aimed at identifying possible antigens that could be used for diagnosis, vaccine, and drugs targets against T. cruzi using reverse vaccinology and

Purpose. The prognostic value of a new scoring system, termed F-NLR, that combines pretreatment fibrinogen level with neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio has been evaluated in various cancers. However, the results are controversial. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively analyze the prognostic value of F-NLR score in patients with cancers. Methods. An integrated search of relevant studies was conducted

Purpose. Liver metastasis is the final stage of cancer progression and is associated with poor prognosis. Although numerous indicators have been identified as having prognostic value for lung cancer and liver metastasis, liver metastases are still not diagnosed by imaging in many patients. To provide a more accurate method for clinical prediction of liver metastasis, we analyzed multiple factors to

The Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid type-2 (TRPV2) channel exhibits oncogenicity in different types of cancers. TRPV2 is implicated in signaling pathways that mediate cell survival, proliferation, and metastasis. In leukemia and bladder cancer, the oncogenic activity of TRPV2 was linked to alteration of its expression profile. In multiple myeloma patients, TRPV2 overexpression correlated with

Background. In patients with gastric cancer (GC), peritoneal metastasis is an indication of the end stage and often indicates a poor outcome. The diagnosis of peritoneal metastasis, especially occult peritoneal metastasis (OPM), remains a challenge for surgeons. This study was designed to explore the relationship between OPM and clinicopathological characteristics and preoperative hematological parameters

Background. Lung cancer (LC) is top-ranked in cancer incidence and is the leading cause of cancer death globally. Combining serum biomarkers can improve the accuracy of LC diagnosis. The identification of the best potential combination of traditional tumor markers is essential for LC diagnosis. Patients and Methods. Blood samples were collected from 132 LC cases and 118 benign lung disease (BLD) controls

The RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway regulates bone remodelling and turnover. However, the genetic background of bone mineral density (BMD) and osteopenia in Saudi postmenopausal women is yet to be studied. We studied the genetic polymorphism of RANKL/RANK/OPG with BMD and other associated factors in Saudi postmenopausal osteopenic women. A total of 439 (223 osteopenia and 216 control) postmenopausal women were

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has rapidly spread worldwide from the beginning of 2020. The presence of viral RNA in samples by nucleic acid (NA) molecular analysis is the only method available to diagnose COVID-19 disease and to assess patients’ viral load. Since the demand for laboratory reagents has increased, there has been a worldwide shortage of RNA extraction

BRCA1/2 gene testing is a difficult, expensive, and time-consuming test which requires excessive work load. The identification of the BRCA1/2 gene mutations is significantly important in the selection of treatment and the risk of secondary cancer. We aimed to develop an algorithm considering all the clinical, demographic, and genetic features of patients for identifying the BRCA1/2 negativity in the

The small musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma (sMaf) proteins MafF, MafG, and MafK are basic region leucine zipper- (bZIP-) type transcription factors and display tissue- or stimulus-specific expression patterns. As the oxidative stress reactive proteins, sMafs are implicated in various neurological disorders. In the present study, the expressions of sMafs were investigated across five databases gathering

Glioma is defined as a common brain tumor which causes severe disability or death. As many genes are reported to relate with glioma’s occurrence and development, their prognostic and therapeutic value still remains uncertain. This study aimed at investigating the association between STAT3/p-STAT3 and glioma prognosis. Nine studies (12 trials) scored ≥5 on the Newcastle-Ottawa scale were meta-analysed

The aim of study was to compare patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy divided according to septal configuration assessed in a 4-chamber apical window. The study group consisted of 56 consecutive patients. Reversed septal curvature (RSC) and non-RSC were diagnosed in 17 (30.4%) and 39 (69.6%) patients, respectively. Both RSC and non-RSC groups were compared in terms of the level of high-sensitivity

Objectives. Endometriosis is supported by hormonal, immunological, and environmental factors. No specific marker for endometriosis has yet been identified. ESR2 and CYP19A1 genes play a major role in the hormonal control of endometriosis women, the development of which largely depends on steroid hormones. Aim. An analysis of ESR2 and CYP19A1 allele-specific gene expressions in the context of the risk

Cytotoxic T cell antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is reportedly involved in the development of bladder cancer (BC). This research was designed to address the potential link between the +49A/G polymorphism in CTLA-4 gene and BC susceptibility. In total, 355 BC cases and 435 match controls from Chinese Han individuals were included eventually. The PCR-RFLR method was utilized to screen for this polymorphism. The +49A/G

Background. Our study aims to develop a lncRNA-based classifier and a nomogram incorporating the genomic signature and clinicopathologic factors to help to improve the accuracy of recurrence prediction for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Methods. The lncRNA profiling data of 374 HCC patients and 50 normal healthy controls were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Using univariable

Objective. We aimed to investigate the serum homocysteine (Hcy) level in patients with brain arteriovenous malformation (bAVM) and their impact on neurological outcome during hospitalization. Method. We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with bAVMs in Beijing Tiantan Hospital from January 2019 to August 2020. Patients were divided into two groups according to the mRS (modified Rankin Scale)

Objective. A growing body of emerging evidence indicates that metabolic processes play a pivotal role in the biological processes underlying acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of the current study was to identify featured metabolism-related genes in patients with AMI using a support vector machine (SVM) and to further explore the value of these genes in the diagnosis of AMI. Methods. Gene microarray

Background and Aim. Differentiating iron deficiency anemia (IDA) from anemia of chronic disease (ACD) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents a clinical challenge. Hepcidin is a polypeptide synthetized in the liver, and iron levels or inflammation mostly regulate hepcidin production. Our aim was to determine serum hepcidin levels in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) belongs to the IL-1 family and is an essential proinflammatory and immune regulatory cytokine. The present study was designed to investigate the expression and function of IL-18 in colon cancer. In clinical analyses, mRNA and protein expressions of IL-18 were decreased in tissues of colon cancer patients. This decreased expression of IL-18 was significantly correlated with the

Prostate cancer is currently one of the most common fatal tumor types in men. Although multiple treatments can alleviate some cases, advanced prostate cancer, especially CRPC, still has a very poor prognosis. Therefore, early detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer have a very important role in the prognosis of patients. Glycoprotein M6B (GPM6B) is a transmembrane protein that belongs to the proteolipid

Background. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to the increased severity and prevalence of metabolic disorders. However, the relationship between levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is controversial. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to explore the relationship between 25(OH)D levels and PAD in middle-aged and elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients